DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmill

As robots play a greater role in combat, DARPA is funding research into how to …

Biologically inspired designs are not a new thing in robotics, but the video embedded below is the first time I've ever seen something that looks like it's modeled on a family pet. Development of the Cheetah robot is being funded by DARPA, the US's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The folks at DARPA have been seing an increased military reliance on robots for disarming and disposing of explosives, so they've set about funding programs to improve the perforance of this hardware.

Cheetah, built by Boston Dynamics, is an attempt to add some speed to robots with legs (wheeled robots can already go pretty fast). It's somewhat disorienting to watch, because it appears to be running backwards—the legs are flexed in the opposite direction from the one most animals travel, and a bit of hardware that looks like a head is actually in the rear. But one key development is actually in the robot's body, which is able to flex as part of the stride. The end result is a top speed of about 18 miles an hour, nearly a third faster than the previous record for a robot on legs.

There's still a long way to go before we catch up to an actual cheetah, which can hit 70 miles an hour. A video of the robot is embedded below.

It's pieces of innovation like this that could eventually lead to a machine revolution. I hope the programmers are making sure to include the First Law. In any case they are still scary to see, I'll be happier to see a corporate logo on them, so that you could sue the crap out of some company, having this funded by Darpa just leads to the eventual conclusion that happens in The Terminator or The Matrix.

I suppose the only thing we can hope is that us or our offspring are old enough that we live out our lives before the robot apocalypse.

It's pieces of innovation like this that could eventually lead to a machine revolution. I hope the programmers are making sure to include the First Law. In any case they are still scary to see, I'll be happier to see a corporate logo on them, so that you could sue the crap out of some company, having this funded by Darpa just leads to the eventual conclusion that happens in The Terminator or The Matrix.

I suppose the only thing we can hope is that us or our offspring are old enough that we live out our lives before the robot apocalypse.

I am thinking that perhaps, since we are about to run into a decisive shrinkage in the energy available for use, we will never arrive at the robo-apocalypse so many envisioned. At least, not until we are able to find another cheap and available source of energy, if we ever will.

I am thinking that perhaps, since we are about to run into a decisive shrinkage in the energy available for use, we will never arrive at the robo-apocalypse so many envisioned. At least, not until we are able to find another cheap and available source of energy, if we ever will.

From Wikipedia:

"The total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year. In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year. Photosynthesis captures approximately 3,000 EJ per year in biomass. The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet is so vast that in one year it is about twice as much as will ever be obtained from all of the Earth's non-renewable resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined."

I am thinking that perhaps, since we are about to run into a decisive shrinkage in the energy available for use, we will never arrive at the robo-apocalypse so many envisioned. At least, not until we are able to find another cheap and available source of energy, if we ever will.

From Wikipedia:

"The total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year. In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year. Photosynthesis captures approximately 3,000 EJ per year in biomass. The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet is so vast that in one year it is about twice as much as will ever be obtained from all of the Earth's non-renewable resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined."

Solar panel must be built. That cost not only money, but energy too. We will have much less energy available for building solar panels, among other things, I don't see us committing much of that for building solar panels for powering running robots.I don't see frills like these going on for long, perhaps for 10-20 years they are still fine. Though indeed the precise time is unforeseeable, but it is extremely likely that we will have to go on without so much energy available.

Oh, wow, that is incredibly creepy. The parts where the guy kicks it, and when it's stumbling on the ice - I couldn't help but have a visceral reaction of sympathy for it as it struggles to retain its balance.

Holy crap I just read a book about this. It mentions the BigDog and shows how in a decade or so there will be quadrupedal tanks and whatnot, and these will be the main players on the battlefield. These four-legged machines will be a lot more agile, able to dodge fire from their greatest enemies, planes and helicopters. Except the book says helicopters will be replaced with vehicles that have hummingbird biomechanical wings. And now here we have DARPA's latest creation, the cheetah-like machine, just like in the book. Amazing. The book is Rick Friar's The Keepers. It's so wierd. I just got done reading it and I see this. That's uncanny

We will not run out of energy. Energy will likely become more expensive. We will manage.

Exactly, a lot more expensive, and there will be less of it (no one ever said we will run out of energy, we will just have less) at least for a long time (read the linked page). What do you think we will cut first, our energy usage to power running robots, or our energy usage to produce food, shelters, heating, transportation... computers?? QED.

We will not run out of energy. Energy will likely become more expensive. We will manage.

Exactly, a lot more expensive, and there will be less of it (no one ever said we will run out of energy, we will just have less) at least for a long time (read the linked page). What do you think we will cut first, our energy usage to power running robots, or our energy usage to produce food, shelters, heating, transportation... computers?? QED.

As soon as energy becomes moderately more expensive, people will overcome their fears and uncertainty about nuclear reactors faster than anyone would ever have thought possible.

As soon as energy becomes moderately more expensive, people will overcome their fears and uncertainty about nuclear reactors faster than anyone would ever have thought possible.

Oil (main source of energy today) has multiplied its price four-fivefold in the last twenty years. Yet I am not seeing nuclear reactors popping out at warp speed. Besides, if you bothered to read that damned link, you would find an explanation of why even massive nuclear buildup would not return us to the era of cheap and abundant energy.